What is Best: Electronic or Manual Pumps?

Published November 22, 2014

Picking out a good breast pump can be a real task. There are lots of questions to consider and contemplate such as: what will last the longest? What will the baby like? What will be the most comfortable? All of these are good questions, and can be answered with a little bit of research.

First off, the big different between electronic and manual pumps is just that: one works electronically while the other one requires you to do the pumping. Lots of mothers complain about the manual pumps and say that they are hard work – which they are. Mothers often complain having hand cramps after excessive use. Even though manual pumps are often cheaper, easier to clean, and often times more reliable – electronic pumps will save you a great hassle. Don’t forget the time that electronic pumps can save you. Manual pumps are often easy to use, have great suction, and can be quite simple to disassemble and clean. However, if you’re going for something that can get the job done quickly and efficiently then you should definitely invest in getting an electronic breast pump.

With that said, when you look at the best breast pumps on the market, there is often a mix of both electronic and manual. Manual pumps have come a very long way – they were at one time being expected to become extinct because electronic pumps were just that much better, but now they’re coming back. The big seller is the price of manual pumps. However, you must be the judge when looking at the right breast pump to buy. You’ll need to look at sizes, how much they can yield, how easy they are to clean, and also the portability of them as well.

In my experience, I have found Medela to have some of the best electronic pumps. You can find a solid review of Medela pumps here. However, if you’re not interested in an electronic pump and want a manual one, you can find some of the best manual pumps right here.